Yobs who target firefighters with missiles will find themselves hauled through the courts in a tough crackdown.

In the past week, fire crews have repeatedly come under a string of attacks from stone-hurling thugs and violent threats from boozed-up youths.

And in a bizarre new twist, it's believed some of the boozing teens are heightening their high by inhaling the fumes of torched wheelie bins.

It is the second major wave of attacks on firefighters this year.

Fire chiefs and police have been examining evidence and are poised to prosecute those responsible for some of the attacks in January of this year.

And Dave Turton, Marine Station Manager in Middlesbrough warned: "We have a zero-tolerance to violence and abuse against firefighters.

"Hopefully, the message from the events in January will be loud and clear to those responsible for the incidents: we will always attempt to gather as much evidence and prosecute whenever we can."

Coulby Newham station Watch Manager Brian Upton and his team were called to a fire started in woods off Cypress Road, Marton, Middlesbrough, on Thursday where they were confronted by up to a dozen "very violent, threatening, drunken youths."

He said: "Although we were not attacked the verbal abuse and threats were considerable.

"There was a broken-up wheelie bin on fire and I believe they are now getting high off the fumes when they're already off their heads on alcohol," he added.

Crews withdrew from the scene for their own safety.

In an incident on Wednesday night, one of his firefighters was left reeling after being hit on the side by a stone hurled by a youth.

They were called to Cass House Road, Hemlington, at about teatime after a mattress had been deliberately set ablaze in a bush.

"We had all these small children around watching us when these older youth started throwing stones," he said.

"Our concern was the stones were landing very close to these young children. One of my officers was struck on the side. There is CCTV footage of him reeling and holding his side."

On Monday night, crews were again stoned when attending deliberate rubbish fires in Nuneaton Drive, Hemlington.

Front-line fire appliances carry specialist cameras in a bid to catch the thugs.